Just An Accident
by cresent-lunette
Summary: Naruto accidentally kissed Sasuke when his life was starting to turn around.   Naruto thinks his life is ruined.  However, after class, Sasuke wants to talk in private... SasuNaru, InoSaku.  Lemony stuff.  **NOTE: DISCONTINUED.  Very sorry.**
1. That First Kiss

He had never been more embarrassed in his life. Why did that happen just then, when his life was just starting to turn around and people were finally starting to accept him?

His face buried in his hands, Naruto Uzumaki heaved a sigh. He could feel all eyes on him, especially after what he had done, and especially since he did it with Sasuke Uchiha, that elite boy in the majority of the female popularity.

It was an accident; he didn't mean to. He just… fell into it, literally. Tenderly he touched the newly forming bruise on his cheek and winced slightly at the shot of dull pain that rushed throughout that bruise. Those girls didn't need to make such a big fuss over him – he's just a boy, after all… or was he? Naruto began to find his mind racing as Iruka-sensei was lecturing the large classroom full of teenage rookie ninjas.

He jumped as something poked him hard in the side. Spinning around, he saw that it was none other than that pony-tailed blonde Ino Yamanaka. She had an angry expression plastered onto her smooth face, glaring at Uzumaki with intense dislike and jealousy. She looked back at Iruka-sensei, who had addressed her with a question.

Naruto adverted his gaze back to Iruka, his eyes watching and his ears listening, but not seeing or hearing. He glanced to his left, trying to see what Sasuke was doing. His face was pink and his gaze was fixed on Iruka, who was talking about being placed in squads. Naruto's stomach plummeted to the earth – he hoped he wasn't paired with anyone who treated him like dirt…

As Iruka started reading off names, Naruto's mind trailed back to that humiliating moment. Not even a half hour ago, before class had started and everyone was bubbling with excitement, Naruto was entering that classroom.

He remembered seeing half a dozen girls fighting to sit next to the raven-haired Uchiha, and he remembered going up to Uchiha to figure out what girls liked about him so much. He knew it within himself, it was true, and he was denying the truth to even himself. He hated to admit it, but that Uchiha was attractive – in each and every way. He was thinking this to himself, squatting on the desk that Sasuke was sitting at, peering at him and pretending to be irritated. Then someone bumped into him – and then… he just fell into that first kiss. 

Oh, that kiss was bliss. Even though it was extremely unexpected, uncalled for, a total accident, and lasted not even five seconds, he loved every second of it. He didn't know why; he just knew that, if he had the chance to do it again, he would.

He heard his name being called by Iruka-sensei. He was assigned squad seven, and, to his sheer delight, so was Sasuke. He glanced at Sasuke again to see his reaction, and saw the raven-hair flush brilliantly pink. He also discovered that Sakura Haruno was assigned to their team, and Naruto's stomach fell to the floor again. He didn't want the competition.

Wait – what was he thinking? A boy and a boy just isn't supposed to be… True, Naruto had some feelings for him, but he knew that Sasuke seemed to resent the blonde kitsune. And, although Naruto used to have feelings for Sakura, he decided that she just wasn't going to fess up – in fact, she made it crystal clear that she disliked him. So he simply decided to give up on chasing after her.

Naruto could hear cheers from Sakura and complaints from other girls. Naruto hid his face, a smile carved on his lips, hidden from the rest of the class as he secretly celebrated inside his consciousness while maintaining the reaction of an irritable and reluctant teen.

Uzumaki was pleased to not hear Sasuke complaining. Well, not about being with Naruto, anyway. He didn't really think the idea of having Sakura on his team was the best thing.

"Iruka-sensei, I don't think this will work out."

Iruka stopped reading off the list of squads and fixed his gaze on the Uchiha. After a moment's pause, he resumed reading the list again, taking no notice of Sasuke's complaint.

---

"Isn't this great, Sasuke?! I'm on your team!! We get to do missions together and work together and… cha!! It's gonna be great!!"

Sakura was practically jumping up and down for joy. Naruto had his hands in his pockets and Sasuke was shaking his head, embarrassed by Sakura's actions. Naruto, who was excited as well but tried to keep his cool, 'assumed' that there was no more need for him to be there, and started walking towards his lonely home.

"Hey! Uzumaki!!" 

Surprised, the kitsune swiveled around to see Sasuke calling him. 

"What do you want, Sasuke?" He was trying to keep his voice at a calm level as Sasuke caught up with him, leaving Sakura disappointed in the dust.

"I want to have a quick word with you… can we go somewhere more private? It's very important."

"Sure… we can go to my place; I live alone, so nobody would intrude there."

The boys started walking towards the blonde's home, ignoring the desperate calls from Sakura.

After ten minutes of walking silently and the tension growing between them, Naruto broke the silence. 

"So… what do you want to talk about?"

Sasuke looked at him, his eyes… softer… somehow. They didn't look at him with distaste or disgust anymore. "Naruto… I'll explain everything when we get there. Are we almost at your place?" He had a gentle smile on his handsome face.

"Umm… yeah. About five more minutes of a walk…" Naruto looked away, feeling slightly nervous now. Sasuke had never looked at him like that – not in a million years would he ever… or would he? Naruto shook his head, trying to shake the thought out of his mind, forgetting momentarily that Sasuke was accompanying him. 

"What are you shaking your head for?" Sasuke peered at Naruto inquisitively.

"Oh… Nothing, Sasuke." The kitsune smiled sheepishly at the raven-haired boy, trying his best to not show any anxiety.

Five minutes or so later, Naruto was fiddling with his house key. He didn't know why he had so many keys on one key chain; he made a mental note to remove the unused keys later on that night.

Sasuke, standing behind him, was becoming impatient. He didn't like having to wait for extended periods of time, not when it came to things as important as this. He glanced around the narrow hallway, examining the miscellaneous nicks and cracks in the paint on the walls. He heaved a sigh of relief when he heard the doorknob click to the unlocked position.

"Okay, here we go." Naruto opened his front door and allowed Sasuke inside first, locking the door behind himself so nobody else would bother them. "you're going to have to pardon the mess; I haven't had a chance to clean up recently…"

Sasuke scanned the living quarters that belonged to Uzumaki. It was very cozy: knick-knacks were placed on small shelves on the walls, two comfortable-looking chairs set in front of a coffee table garnished the living room, and other pieces of furniture was placed here and there throughout the room. 

Curious, Sasuke ventured further, and found Naruto's single bedroom. His twin bed was unmade, there was a nightstand with a clock and a picture frame on it and other various items, and a dresser as well as a hamper. Surprisingly enough, the house was moderately tidy, and seemed good enough for Sasuke's standards.

Uchiha glanced behind him into the living room to see Naruto sitting in one f the chairs, waiting for him. A smirk on his face, Sasuke beckoned the blonde to approach him in the hallway with a single finger. Timidly, Naruto got up and went to investigate.

"Naruto… about what happened at the beginning of class…"

The kitsune flushed red. "I'm sorry about that – it was a total accident. Someone bumped into me and… and—" 

He couldn't finish his sentence. Naruto's cerulean eyes opened wide with surprise as Sasuke leaned forward and quieted him by pressing his soft lips against his own. Somehow he found himself pinned against the wall, with Sasuke's arms preventing him from getting away.

Naruto melted on the inside. He did not object to Sasuke's surprising action – in fact, he went along with it. He felt the Uchiha press his muscular yet slim body against his own, sandwiching him between the warm body and the cool wall. His hands were being pinned against the wall with Sasuke's own hands now as they played with each other, hardly pausing for breath.

Naruto's spine sent shivers as he felt something warm and wet against his bottom lip. He realized that it was the elite's tongue, trying to worm its way inside. Almost eagerly, he allowed the raven-haired boy inside, submitting to his actions without protest.

Sasuke dominated their game. Naruto tried to gain dominance, but, seeing as the Uchiha had that nature, he didn't allow the blonde to be in control. Naruto tried wriggling his hands free from the other's firm grasp, and he succeeded, although he was unsure if Sasuke was allowing him to do so or if he really did prevail. 

Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke, placing his hands on the small of his back. He gripped the boy's shirt firmly as they played in each other's mouths, both boys becoming more and more aroused with each passing moment.

---

Sasuke couldn't believe it. He had finally gotten the blonde alone, in his own home, and now – well, he dreamed for a long time of this moment. He didn't want it to end, and that's one reason why he wouldn't give up his dominance. However, he did allow the kitsune a little freedom. After all, he did let his hands go, right? Now things should get a little more interesting.

Sasuke's skin tingled when the kitsune grabbed his shirt. He felt his soft warm fingers slowly pulling up his shirt, trying to reveal his flawless pale flesh, and Sasuke did not retaliate. Instead, he pulled away from Naruto's addicting taste and he tore his own shirt off. He assisted Naruto in taking off his orange shirt, to reveal a tight black muscle shirt that showed off his lean body. Sasuke smirked as he placed his hands on the blonde's sides and went in for another kiss.

In an instant, Sasuke found himself on the floor. Slightly dazed and confused, the Uchiha gazed up into Naruto's gorgeous blue eyes. It took him a moment to realize that he wasn't in control anymore – and he had no idea what the kitsune might do.

Naruto leaned down and started nibbling Sasuke's collarbone. He breathed in Naruto's scent as he gave him little pleasures, running his fingers through the blonde's surprisingly thick and silky hair. He didn't want the boy to stop, and he started making little noises as he nipped his tender skin.

"Don't you… dare stop, Uzumaki…"

Naruto, encouraged by this, began eating at his neck with more ferocity and passion than he was before. Sasuke gasped, and gripped tightly to the blonde's shoulders, refusing to let him go.

Sasuke could feel himself growing more and more aroused with each passing moment, wanting more of Naruto's affection and kisses. He lifted his hips smoothly upwards, pressing himself against Naruto, feeling each other's excitement taking place. 

After a few more minutes of pleasure, Naruto sat up, smiling. His eyes were so shiny, and he had never looked more happy in his life.

"Sasuke-kun… If you want me to stop… then I can—"

For the second time that day, Naruto was cut off by Sasuke. He had sat up, pinned Naruto sitting against the wall, and had started kissing him again, playing with the kitsune's bottom lip and his tongue.

Sasuke wanted more. He took the kitsune's face in his soft warm hands and pulled him closer, deepening that wonderful kiss. He could tell that Naruto was smiling.

Oh, that boy tasted so good. Naruto grew hungrier and hungrier for the raven-haired boy with each passing second. He ran his fingers through Sasuke's thick dark hair, relishing the touch of Sasuke's tender skin against his own soft tanned skin. Sasuke made gentle sounds of pleasure, which, in turn, seemed to excite the blonde boy even further.

To the passionate boys' exasperation, someone knocking at the door interrupted their game. Unsure what to do and hesitant, Naruto reluctantly got up to see who the hell was disturbing him. To his mild surprise and irritation, it was Sakura.

Sakura's eyebrows were raised in curiosity when she saw the shirtless blonde answer the door. However, she did not question him. Instead, she asked a different question, rather than the one etched all over her face.

"Hey, Naruto. Umm. What was it that Sasuke wanted to ask you? I was just wondering…" She looked at the ground and fidgeted nervously, her face turning as pink as her hair.

Naruto sighed. Is this all that she wanted to know?

"I can't tell you, Sakura, Sasuke wanted me to not tell anyone." Naruto cleared his throat, shifting his weight in impatience.

"Oh… okay. Speaking of Sasuke, is he still here?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, he left about ten minutes ago. I don't know where he went; try looking for him at his own house."

"I just tried there. I want to know if Sasuke could… never mind. Are you sure he's not here, Naruto…?" She peered at him.

Naruto could feel his face going pink as well. "No, Sakura, I don't have any reason to lie to you about Sasuke's whereabouts. I don't know… I think he said something about getting some ramen and then training or something or another."

Sakura, clearly defeated, bid Naruto farewell and ran off, her face set. Sighing in relief, Naruto closed and locked his door shut.

"What a nuisance. Kind of a pity that she's on our team… Sasuke? Where did you go?"

Naruto looked around his dim living room, since the blinds were closed and had not been drawn earlier when he came home. He could not find Sasuke in the living room, so he tried his bedroom.

Next thing he knew, Naruto was pounced and found himself on the floor. He found his eyes gazing into Sasuke's dark shiny eyes and seemed to loose himself in those bottomless windows.

"Hey, Sasuke… where did you go?"

Sasuke played with a bit of Naruto's silky hair. "Waited for the right moment," he murmured, smiling at Naruto and bending down for another one of those addicting kisses.

Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke's neck, pulling him closer as they lay there on Naruto's bedroom floor. The blonde's tongue touched Sasuke's lip, asking silently for entry, and the Uchiha gave him full access.

A few moments later Sasuke pulled away and started licking the kitsune's soft tanned neck. Naruto smiled and chuckled at the pleasing touch of the boy's warm and wet tongue against his own skin. He played with Sasuke's hair, running his slender fingers through the mass of dark thick silk.

Once again, to their utter irritation, someone knocked at the door. Sighing very loudly, Naruto answered the door, grabbing his black tank top on the way and pulling it on, a step that he had forgotten to take when Sakura was at the door.

Naruto rolled his eyes as he opened the front door again. Not surprisingly, it was Ino this time.

"What do you want, Ino?" Naruto asked in a slightly irritated voice.

"Was Sakura here earlier?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, she's looking for Sasuke, and she sent me here to look for him again… I don't even know why I'm helping her, but I'm doing because I want to find Sasuke before she does."

Naruto rolled his eyes. That's totally what he would expect from Ino. She was always competing with Sakura. Sighing, Naruto leaned against his doorway panel, hands in his pocket and his foot tapping every other second.

"I'm sorry, Ino, I don't know where Sasuke went. If I did know, I would tell you…" Naruto glanced back into his dim living room. He knew that Sasuke was smart enough to hide somewhere in case someone came in.

"Is there anything else you needed, Ino?" Naruto asked gruffly.

Furrowing her brow, she shook her head. "No, but if you could look for Sasuke later on for me I'd be absolutely delighted. Thanks." And, with that, she left.


	2. I Think I Love You, Sasuke

Sakura was going out of her mind. Where was Sasuke? And why did she even ask that Ino-pig to help her? She'd made a huge mistake, and she knew it.

_I'm not going to let Ino get in my way!! After all, Sasuke's on MY squad, not hers! Why should I have to let her get in the way? And Naruto isn't any help either. Oh, where is he?! _

Her mind raced furiously as she ran up and down the alleys searching for that hot dark haired boy. He was on her mind every moment of every day, and she often found herself daydreaming while she was supposed to be doing other things like chores or training.

Her mind trailed to the next morning. She, Naruto, and Sasuke were going to meet their new sensei. She wondered what he would be like. _ Would he be as strong as Sasuke…? No, he couldn't be, Sasuke was just too cool. But… my new sensei is supposed to be a Jonin…_

Her mind raced like this for over a half hour. After searching the whole of Konoha, she simply gave up searching for Sasuke. Dragging her feet into Ramen Ichiraku, she plopped into a stool and put her head on the bar. The friendly old man greeted her and she waved at him lazily, her head still on the hard surface.

---

"Naruto…"

"Mmmph… yes… Sasuke..?"

"I'm sorry I treated you like dirt before, Naruto… I realize now just how much I love you…"

Naruto and Sasuke were laying in Naruto's bed, holding each other under the warm covers. Naruto was facing Sasuke, so he buried his soft face into Sasuke's warm chest. His breath made the both of them warmer.

"I love you too, Sasuke."

They remained like this for some time, simply enjoying each other's company and body heat. They were both exhausted. Though they were very much aroused at the time, and things were getting a little hot, they weren't ready to go all the way. So they settled with simply cuddling and kissing.

"Sasuke?"

"Yes, Naruto?"

"Are we going to tell everyone else?"

"I don't think we need to. Things would get confusing and everyone would hate us – not to mention Sakura putting you as number one on her hit list. Now that she's in our squad and seeing as how nosy she is we're going to have to be careful. Don't worry, I'm not going to let anyone take me away from you – and same goes for you."

Naruto smiled. It seemed like the raven-haired was reading his mind.

"Thank you, Sasuke."  
They closed their eyes, holding each other close, and fell asleep. The last thing Naruto sees are Sasuke's eyes, shining brightly with pure happiness.

---

Sasuke awoke with a start. Where was he? The room was dark, and he was warm. Then the memories of yesterday came rushing back to him. He breathed in Naruto's smooth and sweet scent, marveling how bright and soft his blonde hair was. He glanced at the clock. It read 4:35 am.

Wait. Am? _Did I just spend the night with Naruto? And aren't we supposed to meet our new sensei around eight or so? Ah, what the hell, I have more time to kill just staying here._

Sasuke gently stroked the blonde's hair, relishing the soft feel of the silk-like substance against his fingertips. Naruto smiled in his sleep and buried his face further in the comfortable warmth. He murmured something in his sleep that sounded like, "Sasuke… what a nice surprise…"

The Uchiha closed his eyes again. He wanted time to stop, to stay in this house forever, to stay in Naruto's presence for the rest of his life.

Fifteen minutes later, Naruto's eyes slowly opened. The first thing he saw was a pair of dark eyes staring back into his own. He nearly jumped out of surprise.

"Well, good morning, sleeping beauty," Sasuke murmured.

Rubbing his eyes, Naruto replied, "Good morning… how long were you awake? And what time is it?" 

Naruto glanced at the clock. _Almost five in the morning. _He looked back at the half-naked Uchiha smiling at him, his eyes twinkling.

"What're you thinking, Sasuke…?"

"Oh, just about how cute you are asleep and how cute you are now. And how I want time to stop…" Sasuke spoke softly as he leaned towards Naruto, planting a gentle good-morning kiss on Naruto's lips.

Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke, making the kiss last as long as possible. Already they were using their tongues, both now very familiar with the other's mouth. The kitsune ran his fingers through Sasuke's long hair, his other hand placed on the back of Sasuke's head.

Sasuke broke the kiss and started nibbling Naruto's sensitive neck. Naruto chuckled in delight at this morning gift and placed his hands on Sasuke's sides.

Slowly, but steadily, Sasuke made his way down. Before long, he was working on Naruto's stomach, licking the soft flesh and occasionally sucking here and there. His hands were slowly inching down as well, seeming to have a mind of their own.

His hands discovered the waistband of Naruto's pants. They slowly wrapped around it and, very slowly, started pulling them down. Naruto did not protest; in fact, he tried helping by doing the same to Sasuke.  
Naruto stood on his knees, tossing aside Sasuke's shorts. Naruto smiled as he felt his own come off and saw them being thrown aside as well. Naruto pulled Sasuke up by grabbing his face and kissed him ferociously.

The Uchiha elite pressed his slender body against the kitsune's. He ran his fingers slowly up Naruto's bare thighs, feeling Naruto tremble slightly in excitement. His fingers played with Naruto's skin, teasing the blonde, making him want Sasuke even more.

Naruto's hands started playing with Sasuke as well. Their soft hands were searching for something, something, and they both knew what they wanted, but they only needed the nerve to go ahead and do it.

Their hot bodies pressed against each other, they felt each other's hardness pressing into the other's body. Sasuke's hand barely brushed Naruto's cock, inducing a vehement tingle throughout the whole of Naruto's body. 

The kitsune couldn't stand it anymore. His hands reached for Sasuke, finally working up the nerve to grasp him, to touch him, to hold him in the way he's always wanted to.

Sasuke's eyes opened. How… bold this boy was. Even Sasuke Uchiha was hesitant to do it, but this blonde proved to have more potential in many ways, in areas that maybe the raven-haired needed to improve in. 

Naruto glanced at the window. It was slightly steamed, and the room was hot. He focused back onto pleasing Sasuke. 

He detested the little clothing blocking Naruto from the whole of Sasuke. He pulled off Sasuke's underwear, tossed it aside, and feasted his eyes.

Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief. Now he doesn't have anything to hide form the blonde, and it was now Naruto's turn to do the same. He pulled off Naruto's remaining item of clothing, his breath fast and his heart racing as hormones raced through his veins.

Now the boys were completely bare, their hands groping each other as they played with each other's tongues again. Both of the boys were hard and touching the other, which just heated things up even more.

In an instant, Naruto found himself pinned to the ground. Both boys had fallen off the bed due to the excitement. Naruto concluded that the floor was better than a bouncy bed, and there was more room to move around. Plus it was cooler down here, and he liked it when Sasuke dominated him. 

Then he found himself on all fours, with Sasuke behind him. Sasuke's fingers ran down the blonde's sides, and he trailed his fingers down to Naruto's hard penis. He fingered it, feeling a slight pulse inside. Naruto gasped in pure delight.

Sasuke, standing on his knees, fooled around with Naruto for a few moments, inducing even more lust from the blonde. Then he stood up, still on his knees, and placed his hands on Naruto's waist. 

"Are you ready, Naruto?" he asked, his voice smooth and dark as chocolate. He smiled as he traced a small circle with his fingers on Naruto's side.

"Yes, Sasuke, just do it already…" Naruto managed.

"As you wish…"

Sasuke slowly inserted himself into Naruto's ass. Naruto moaned as the tender muscles stretched.

They were both glistening with sweat. Sasuke felt a drip of sweat run down his smooth face and didn't even bother to wipe it away.

Maybe we need something kind of… slippery… Sasuke thought. He didn't want to hurt the kitsune with a dry penis; he tried imagining what it would be like, and imagined that it would hurt a little.

"Do we need some… baby oil or something, Naruto?"

"If you want, Sasuke… I think – I think I have some… in my drawer, over there." Naruto feebly pointed to his nightstand drawer.

"I promise I'll be right back."

Sasuke pulled himself out. Naruto gasped as he felt relief.

Reluctantly, Sasuke stood up and opened the small drawer in Naruto's nightstand. As he did so, he glanced at the clock. Almost six. They needed to meet their new sensei at eight, so they had another hour to play. He immediately spotted the oil, and picked it up.

"Oh, Naruto…"

Naruto faced him, his face pink and shining with perspiration. He smirked as he squatted there, ignoring the uncomfortable sensation left in his rear end.

Sasuke sat in front of him, handing Naruto the oil. He opened the cap and squeezed some out onto his hands, and rubbed it onto Sasuke's penis, making it a messy job on purpose. He smeared it all over Sasuke's lower abdomen as he pressed his lips onto Sasuke's neck. 

Sasuke succumbed to Naruto. He wanted release. He turned Naruto around, bent him over so he was on all fours, and tried inserting himself again.

It was much easier this time. Naruto gasped yet again as Sasuke thrust himself in. It was much more comfortable this time around, and sensations pulsed through his entire body.

He needed something to hold. He clawed the floor as Sasuke thrust to and fro, rattling his body back and forth. He needed something to hold him in place. He breathed very rapidly and heavily, and murmured Sasuke's name.

Sasuke had never had an experience like this in his entire life. Uzumaki, he was sure, is the one for him. These pleasures that Naruto gave him, these feeling and rushes of excitement, that look he gives him with such love and kindness in his eyes – why was he ever mean to him in the first place? Who would have known that Uzumaki was capable of giving so much?

---

Fifteen minutes later, they laid there on the floor. Naruto's alarm clock was going off, but they boys didn't care. They were exhausted. Exhausted, but happy. Holding each other in their arms, the blonde sighed in content as Sasuke stroked his hair.

"Sasuke?"

"Yes, Naruto?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."


	3. What Is This Feeling?

Fifteen minutes later, they laid there on the floor. Naruto's alarm clock was going off, but they boys didn't care. They were exhausted. Exhausted, but happy. Holding each other in their arms, the blonde sighed in content as Sasuke stroked his hair.

"Sasuke?"

"Yes, Naruto?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Sakura was first to enter the empty classroom. She checked the clock on the wall; she was right on time, exactly how she usually was. She glanced around the room. It was very plain: desks that rose up at a steep level and a wide blackboard. She counted the pieces of neatly arranged chalk and the erasers: seven pieces of chalk and two erasers in all.

She sat down at a desk and set her pink backpack on the ground. Resting her head in her hands, she sighed. Staring at the dirty blackboard, she thought of Sasuke and what he was doing right now. Was he just waking up? Was he walking in the hallway even now? She glanced at the door, which was slightly ajar, her heart rate rapidly increasing at the thought of Sasuke.

She waited for a little more than five minutes when she heard footsteps in the hallway. She tried to control herself because she thought it was Sasuke, _her_ Sasuke, and they would be in the room alone together. She felt the heat rush to her face and she covered her face, suppressing a squeal of excitement.

Her eyes fixed on the door, her heart pounding in her ears, she watched the door open. To her extreme disappointment, it was Naruto. He seemed exhausted.

"Oh… Hey, Sakura."

Sakura didn't respond. Where was Sasuke? _ He's not usually this late… Oh, where IS he??_

Naruto dragged himself into a seat. His backpack followed closely behind. Sakura glanced at him; he was beat, as if he was running all morning, but he seemed happy. She'd never seen him smile quite like that – it was always this stupid grin or something. Never a simple _smile._

Sasuke entered the room now. Sakura nearly squealed in delight, but she bit back her tongue. She noticed that he seemed tired too, which wasn't normal for Sasuke. He also seemed happy – what was with these boys? What happened to change them so?

They waited for at least a half hour before Naruto got fed up and sighed noisily. He looked around the room, catching Sasuke's eye, and got up. He was going to play a trick on their new sensei.

He grabbed a chalkboard eraser, smiling with mischievous intent. He grabbed a stool, placed it near the door, and fixed it so the eraser was stuck in the door. That way, anyone who walked in and opened the door would be nailed with an eraser.

Sasuke shook his head, smiling. Even after all that has happened in the past twenty-four hours, he's still up to his mischief.

"Naruto, you shouldn't be doing that!! You'll get in trouble!!" Sakura cried. _Yes! I've always wanted to do something like this. Cha!!_ "What will our new sensei think of us if he discovers this?"

Sasuke sighed as Naruto giggled. They caught each other's gaze and held it for a moment, not breaking it until they heard the door creak open not even two moments later. Their heads swiveled to the door, curious to see their new sensei become unknowingly victimized by the attack of an eraser.

It fell to the ground. Naruto's eyes trailed up from the floor, and found himself gazing at a masked platinum-haired man. He wore a green vest, a long dark sleeved shirt underneath, and long dark pants. His left eye was concealed by his headband, and his mask concealed his face as well, leaving only his right eye exposed.

He paused in the doorway, picking up the eraser. Naruto laughed, Sasuke shook his head, and Sakura tried apologizing. He looked at them with his single eye.

His voice was smooth as chocolate when he spoke. "My first impression of you guys…"

There was a pause.

"You're a bunch of idiots," the man said, placing the eraser back in its proper place.

They were sitting in a lopsided rectangle outside. Naruto was sitting with his hands on the ground, between his knees; Sasuke was resting his elbows on his knees, choosing a contemplative posture; and Sakura was sitting side-sattleish, her legs bent and to one side. She tried assuming a cute and sexy pose, constantly glancing in Sasuke's direction. He gave no notice; instead, he kept glancing at Naruto. He wasn't sitting as close to him as he would like.

Their new sensei sat facing the three teenagers. He seemed to be smiling, but it was difficult to tell behind that mask of his.

"Okay. Let's start by introducing ourselves. Which one would like to go first?"

"Well, how should we start? We don't know exactly how to introduce ourselves if we aren't told how," Naruto murmured.

"Hmm… okay," their sensei began, "I'm Hatake, Kakashi. Let's start off with things I like and things I hate… I have a lot of things I like. Things I hate… well, there's a lot of things I hate too. Hobbies… I have lots of hobbies." He smiled at the dumbstruck teens – at least, they _think_ he smiled at them.

"Okay, fine, I'll start!" Naruto adjusted his headband. "I'm Uzumaki, Naruto, and I like ramen. Either cup ramen or Ichiraku's ramen – both are good. I hate the three minutes you have to wait for the cup ramen, though, and I want to be the best Hokage ever!!" Naruto nodded and smiled.

"Good. How about you next?" Kakashi-sensei gestured to Sakura.

Sakura blushed. "I'm Haruno, Sakura, and what I like… I mean, the _person_ I like.. well, umm… I mean, my hobby is… uh.."

"What about things you hate?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

"NARUTO!!"

Naruto looked at her in surprise; he knew she detested him, but to make it that obvious? He looked away and glanced at Sasuke; he didn't seem too comfortable with Sakura speaking at the moment. His body language suggested a defensive posture – was he offended by Sakura's obvious disgust in Naruto?

"And you?" Kakashi turned to Sasuke.

"Sasuke Uchiha. I don't have a lot of things I like… I hate a lot of things. Not a lot of hobbies… and I want to get revenge on a certain someone."

Sakura's heart sank to her stomach. He doesn't like a lot of things…? _Nearly hopeless._

Naruto looked sideways at Sasuke. Who was this certain person? He could ask later on. Would Sasuke-teme tell him? He wasn't so sure.

Now that Naruto thought about it, he didn't know much of Sasuke's past. He knew that Sasuke didn't really have a family, just like himself. That just wasn't enough, though – if he was going to have this intimate relationship with this handsome boy, then he needs to get to know him a little better.

Naruto shifted around. _Damn, my ass hurts… but I guess it was worth while. I'd do it again in a heartbeat… that is, after I stop hurting. _Naruto shifted around again, his face going pink as he thought of the events that happened early that morning.

Sasuke glanced at Naruto. He saw the blonde flush pink, and he smiled. _What is Naruto thinking…? Maybe this morning. It's my turn next…_

Sasuke's attention switched from the cute blonde to Kakashi-sensei. He was giving them instructions for the next morning.

"Tomorrow… be at the training grounds at sunrise. Oh – and don't eat breakfast, or else you'll throw up.

"Oh, Sasuke!" Sakura was chasing Sasuke, who was trying to catch up with Naruto. He glanced back at Sakura and rolled his eyes, disgusted. He tried ignoring her.

"Sasuke! Where are you running off to? Wait up!" Sakura tried catching up with him, but the Uchiha was simply too fast for the strawberry blonde girl. She slowed down to a complete stop, frustrated and confused, watching Sasuke run after Naruto, who was waiting for him in the distance.

Glad to be rid of the girl, Sasuke finally caught up with Naruto. He was slightly out of breath; his breathing was more rapid, but besides that he was fine.

"Want to go for some ramen, Sasuke?"

"Yes, I think I'd like that." He smiled, his face pink, as he walked by Naruto's side in the direction of Ichiraku's.

Ten minutes later, the boys were sitting in seats, enjoying the smells rising from the kitchen. Naruto was happy, Sasuke was content, and they both gazed at each other for some time. Until the ramen was prepared and Naruto's attention adverted to the ramen.

Sasuke sighed. He stared at his own bowl of ramen and picked up a pair of chopsticks. Already Naruto was inhaling his food…

Sasuke took his time eating. He picked up some noodles, placed them in his mouth, and watched Naruto. Picked up some noodles, ate them, and watched him. He repeated this routine for some time, until he had few noodles left and Naruto was in the middle of his third serving.

"Are you almost done, dobe?"

Sasuke's bowl empty, he was resting his head on his hand, smiling tenderly at the blonde. Naruto looked at him, in the middle of slurping some noodles, and smiled back. He slurped up the remaining noodles quickly, taking Sasuke's hint for him to hurry up.

The Uchiha continued to watch him. Oh, how he wanted to hold that blonde again. He felt empty when he wasn't in his arms. _I want to feel whole again. Like this morning._

Naruto paid for their lunch. Sighing in relief, the boys left and headed towards Naruto's apartment, walking close to each other. Five minutes later, they were holding hands and exchanging sweet words to each other, not caring who saw.

Kakashi watched the boys walking in the distance. For once he was more interested in the boys than his book, Makeout Paradise, because they had eaten lunch together – and they were holding hands. He knew something was going on between the two. He smiled as he crouched on the rooftop, watching the star-crossed boys walking. Should he confront them about this? Should he tell Sakura?

No. True, he thought it strange that Uchiha and Uzumaki would fall for each other, because they seemed like total opposites of each other. He saw them give each other looks, he heard the way they spoke gently to each other. No, the more he thought about it, the more it made sense, and the more he decided against telling Sakura. He knew that she liked him. He could tell simply by the looks that she gave Sasuke, and when she was trying to tell him about herself. It was a little _too_ obvious. And, undoubtedly, Sasuke knew about it.

He watched the pair until they were gone. Where were they going? To Naruto's house? That's what it seemed like, from the direction they were headed.

He resumed reading his book, staying on that rooftop. He didn't need to follow them. He already had a pretty good idea what they were up to.

Naruto closed the door behind him, turning on the living room light. Sasuke made himself comfortable on the couch, stretching himself out at full length, his shirt pulled up a little to reveal his navel. Naruto watched him, smirking, and stood by Sasuke's head.

"Hey." Sasuke murmured.

"Hey yourself," Naruto whispered back as he bent down to kiss him.

Sasuke held Naruto's head as they kissed. He'd wanted to do this all day, and now Naruto was in his possession yet again. He ran his tongue over Naruto's lips, and the kitsune allowed him inside.

They were playing their game once again. No longer were there any rules to the game. All was child's play in their eyes, and it feels so good to be young.

Kissing Sasuke upside down was a new experience for Naruto. He liked it – he could explore Sasuke's mouth from a different view now. He forced his tongue into the boy's mouth, savoring the sweet taste he longed to taste all day long, teasing with his tongue.

He ran his fingers up from Sasuke's collarbone to his jaw line. This movement sent shivers up and down Sasuke's spine, making his heart rate increase. He played with the blonde's hair, enjoying the softness of it.

Sakura was knocking on Sasuke's door. She was nervous; she wanted to ask Sasuke out to dinner, and she was hoping that he wouldn't reject her. She teetered on the balls of her feet for a few moments before knocking again.

_He's not home…? Again? Where is he?_ She waited for three more minutes before her suspicions were confirmed. Disappointed, she started walking back to her own home, an obvious frown on her face.

Not looking where she was going, she ran into something – _hard_. She fell to the ground as she squealed, and the thing she ran into squealed too. Rubbing her now aching head, she looked up to discover that it was Ino Yamanaka that she had run into.

"Ino?"

"Sakura?"

"What are _you_ doing here?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing!"

They glared at each other for a moment. _Ino looks… pretty. Why is she all dressed up? Was she going to ask Sasuke out as well?_ "No… really, what _were_ you going to do?" The look in Sakura's eyes softened as she gazed at her ex-best friend.

"I was going to ask Sasuke something."

"Good luck trying – he's not home. I just tried, to be honest with you…"

"Ah. No wonder why you look all dressed up – you actually look nice for once."

"Umm… thanks?"

It was an awkward moment. Ino offered Sakura her hand to help her up, and, gratefully, she accepted the offer.

As soon as her hand touched Ino's hand, a rushing sensation of warmth shot up her arm. _What was this feeling?_

She didn't want to let go of Ino, for some reason. She was reluctant to let go. But, after she did, she nervously brushed the non-existent dust off of her clean clothes. Ino eyed her, smiling just a little.

"You going to be okay, Sakura?" the blonde asked her.

"Yeah, I think so." _What is this feeling? Why am I thinking this way about her all of a sudden? It's just… not… right… is it?_

Ino smiled at her as she waved a farewell. "I'll see you around!" she called as she ran back to the direction of her family's flower shop.

Sakura waved goodbye as she watched her run off. _What is this feeling?_


	4. Fresh Cookies

**Note: I need to edit the other chapters. Since I'm still new to this stuff, I still have to learn the ins and outs of this… so. Yeah. That's all. Thanks for reading.**

---

Sakura was confused. She was laying on her stomach, her arms folded and resting her chin on her arms. Chewing her bottom lip, she argued with herself in her mind.

_What the hell is this feeling? Every time I think of Ino, my stomach gets butterflies in it…_

_**Well, obviously, you've got feelings for her.**_

_No, no I don't. I _can't _have feelings for her. She's a girl and I'm a girl! It just wouldn't work out like it would with Sasuke._

_**Forget about Sasuke. He's made it clear that he doesn't like you… or anyone else, for that matter, so stop chasing after him.**_

Yeah, but he's so cool, and he's so hot… 

_**Ino is sexy too, and it's much easier to connect to a girl than a guy.**_

Sakura argued with herself until her mother called her for dinner. She left it at that, blocking out her inner self for the rest of the night.

- - -

Ino arranged a bouquet of miscellaneous flowers nervously. Her mind was racing, fighting herself to try to make sense of things. Why did she feel like that when she helped Sakura up? It didn't feel natural; almost like how it felt when she 'accidentally' brushed against Sasuke and their bodies met, barely brushing against each other and sending tingles up her spine.

Her mind trailed to Sasuke. She was sure that Sasuke wasn't interested in either her or Sakura. So what was the point of chasing after him anymore? She'd probably have a better chance with Shikamaru, Choji, Neji, even Sakura… wait. Sakura? Why did she put her in the same category as her male friends?

Maybe she _did_ have some feelings for Sakura. Once she thought about it, Sakura was pretty; the only problem she had was that forehead. True, it was wider than most… but it was that uniqueness that made Sakura… Sakura.

That image of Sakura invaded her mind. Placing her hand to her forehead, she sighed. _Why am I thinking of her so much now?_ Confused, she heard her parents calling for her. Trying to shove all of her thoughts away, she went to see what they wanted.

"What do you need, Mom?"

Ino's mother smiled at her in the back room. "Could you take care of the shop for a couple days? Your father and I have to go out of town for a little while. We need to pick up an order."

"Yeah, sure. I'll do that."

Ino wasn't surprised. She had to take care of the shop for five days once, so she was used to doing this kind of stuff.

She walked back into the shop, standing behind the register desk. She sat in the stool, resting her head on her hand. She heaved a sigh. Tapping her long fingernails on the heard tabletop, she thought of Sakura again.

- - -

"N-n-n… Naruto…" Sasuke moaned.

God, it hurt, but it felt so good… He'd never felt anything so phenomenal in his entire life. Naruto shook his whole body, the inside and out, and he loved that feeling.

He clawed at the cool sheets, groping for something to keep his body steady. Naruto pushed in and out, sharing body heat and sweat with the raven haired boy he so dearly loved. A tremor flooded Sasuke's body as Naruto moved faster and faster, thrusting in and out. Naruto could feel Sasuke's muscles tighten around him, embracing Naruto with such tension, such… passion, it seemed.

Sasuke felt Naruto's fingers sliding slowly up and down his hardened length. Sasuke couldn't contain himself anymore; he released all over Naruto's warm soft fingers. Naruto smiled as he stroked Sasuke. The white-stuff was very warm and a little sticky. He liked the texture of it on his soft fingertips. He formed his fingers into a ring and ran it up and down Sasuke, rubbing the sticky substance all over Sasuke's pulsing length.

Naruto could feel himself wanting release as well. He placed his cleaner hand on Sasuke's waist, gripping the Uchiha to steady himself as he started to reach climax.

"Mmph… Naruto-o-o…" The tender spots inside the dark-haired boy were touched in just the right places, in just the right moments, and in just the right ways. For the second time in a few minutes, he experienced the first orgasm of that kind in his entire life. He cried out, his eyes wide as his entire body surged and trembled from the shock of the exhilarating experience.

Naruto released just when Sasuke reached the second orgasm, filling Uchiha with his own white-heat. Both boys

Naruto withdrew as Sasuke gasped in relief and exhaustion, traces of the orgasm starting to fade away. They laid on the bed, absorbing each other's burning body heat and glistening sweat. Sasuke stroked Naruto's hair with his hand, smiling. He loved the blonde more than ever in his life.

They stayed like this for a little over a half hour. Both boys had agreed on showering after they regained their strength.

They tried behaving in the shower. They shared kisses in the hot water, they cleaned each other with soap, they washed each others hair… Both boys spent more time in the shower than they normally would have, about twenty minutes more, since they distracted each other, massaging soap suds all over the other's body and tasting each other once more, their tongues playing a game of tag.

- - -

Ino looked up as the shop's door opened. To her delight, it was Sakura, who happened to be on her mind at that moment.

Sakura's cheeks turned pink. She held out a fairly large covered basket at full arm's length, smiling at the pony-tailed blonde. She set it on the tabletop.

"How are you, Ino?" she asked, smiling warmly.

"Oh! I'm doing okay. I have to watch the shop for a couple days by myself because my parents are going out of town." She started to untie the basket, curious as to what it was.

Sakura blushed even brighter. She shook her hair, to conceal her face a little better and to hide her now flushing face.

Ino smiled when she opened the basket. She saw, laying before her, a fresh batch of heart-shaped frosted cookies. She gazed at Sakura, who was brilliantly pink by now, with shining eyes of a thousand thank-yous.

She jumped onto Sakura, wrapping her arms around Sakura's neck, giving her a friendly hug. "Thank you, Sakura. They look delicious."

Sakura, taken by surprise, wrapped her arms around Ino, holding her close. She closed her eyes, breathing in her scent and relishing her touch. Ino was so warm and she smelled so good…

They embraced each other for a minute or so, before they realized exactly what they were doing – and why. They broke apart, looking out the glass window, smiling. They didn't want to let go of each other… not yet, but they had to.

Ino picked up a cookie. She nibbled a small bite, tasting the sweet pastry before it dissolved in her mouth. Taking another bite, she watched Sakura smelling a bouquet of daffodils, touching their soft petals.

_I wonder if this is how Ino's skin would feel if I could touch her like this…_ Sakura massaged the delicate sunshine-yellow petals, fascinated by the silky texture.

She stood up straight, dusting herself off nervously. She turned her head to face Ino, smiling.

"What do you think of the cookies, Ino?"

The pony-tailed blonde smiled. "I love them. Thank you."

Sakura combed her fingers through her strawberry hair. She wanted so much to stroke Ino's long shiny hair. Would her hair be as soft as her own?

"Anyway, Ino, I'd better go. My mom is expecting me to return right back so I can finish my chores…"

Ino looked up. "Oh, yeah, sure. That's fine. See you later."

Sakura smiled as she opened the tall glass door. The silver bells on the door sang a sweet chime, and lasted for only a moment as both girls turned away from each other, wishing that both of them could stay.

Watching Sakura walking away, Ino sighed. Why did she think of Sakura this way? It just didn't make any sense to her. Now she was sure that she likes Sakura as much as she likes Sasuke.

_I was hiding these feelings all this time? I guess I liked her from the first moment I met her… I just didn't realize it yet. I realize that now… why was I so blind?_

Ino absentmindedly arranged some flowers for the sixth time that morning. She glanced at the delicious cookies Sakura brought her. She picked up a cookie and ate it slowly, not caring if she was on a diet. With each small bite, her mind flooded with images of Sakura, her cherry-blossom pink Sakura, her ex-best friend, her rival, her crush.

- - -

Naruto woke up the next morning exhausted. He swung himself around, sitting on the side of the bed, pulling off his sleeping cap. He yawned, stretching out his sore legs and arms. _Man, did I need that sleep._

He hit his alarm, which was ringing obnoxiously. He wanted to sleep in a little more, but since he had to meet his new squad at sunrise…

He started his usual routine. He was just about to open a container of cup ramen when he remembered that his new sensei had told them to not eat breakfast that morning – else they were to throw up. He didn't want to throw up, so he reluctantly put away the ramen and decided to brush his teeth instead.

He wondered if Sasuke was awake already. Most likely. What did Sasuke eat for breakfast? Not ramen, he didn't think. Vegetables? Fruit? Rice? He'd have to ask him at some point or another.

Pulling on his orange pants, he glanced at the clock again. Now that he didn't have breakfast, he had extra time to get ready. He wanted to look his best for Sasuke.

He combed his hair in front of the mirror after he dressed. He tried many different styles: smoothed down, parted down the middle, combed back. He simply decided that his usual messy hair was fine enough. Sasuke seemed to like his hair the way it was.

_**Why are you trying to impress Sasuke so much?**_

_Because… I don't know. You tell me._

_**He likes you just the way you are. Otherwise he wouldn't have had sex with you, he wouldn't have said all those things, he wouldn't have done all that with you… stop trying to be someone else and just be Naruto.**_

_You've got a point…_

Naruto sighed as he messed up his hair. He smiled at his reflection. _Is that smile real?_

His face fell as that thought ran through his mind. _Am I being real? Do I really want this… thing… between me and Sasuke?_

He stared into his own eyes. Those vivid cerulean orbs, those windows into his head… could Sasuke tell that Naruto wasn't as bubbly and naïve as he appeared to everyone else? He knew that Sasuke was good at picking up people's emotions and reading the person behind the image.

He heaved a sigh. Turning away from the mirror, Naruto felt the hungriest sense of longing than he had ever felt in his life. He needed Sasuke more than ever now. He needed to know that Sasuke really wanted this. He wanted to hear those sweet nothings whispered in his ear, he wanted to taste Sasuke's sweet mouth, he wanted to caress his slender and muscular body… Most of all, he wanted Sasuke to simply be there to comfort him.

He hugged himself, squeezing his arms close to his beating heart, hugging some imaginary someone. All he wanted was to be accepted… Maybe he could find acceptance through Sasuke.

Fifteen minutes later, he was out the door. He noted the darkness of the chilly morning as he locked the door. The sun was still hiding from Naruto's prying eyes, not ready to pull off the cold blanket swallowing Konoha in darkness.

He kept his face down as he walked. He kicked rocks along the way, finding some sort of amusement in kicking the cold hard stones around.

Before he knew it, he was at the training grounds. He got there just as Sasuke appeared. He smiled when he saw Sasuke waving at him, and didn't even notice Sakura running up from behind.

Of course, with Sakura being the fickle teenage girl that she was, she squealed when she saw Sasuke waving. _Cha!! Finally, Sasuke's waving at me! _She waved back, smiling.

Sasuke's arm fell slowly to his side. Naruto ran up to greet him, leaving the girl behind. Sakura was confused, yet again, as she saw Sasuke and Naruto greet each other in the near distance.

She fell to her knees in the damp grass, setting her pink backpack behind her. Her stomach growled at her as she sat there, watching the two boys walking towards her, apparently sharing a lazy conversation.

The boys quieted as soon as Sakura was within earshot. _What do they have to hide from me? _

Naruto dropped his bag to the ground, sitting down as he did so. Sasuke did the same, but he remained standing. Sakura noticed that Sasuke kept glancing at the blonde boy, whose eyes were closed and trying to steal a few moments of rest.

They waited for a long time. It wasn't until the sun was already scaling the sky that Naruto cried out, "Bah, where are you, sensei?! I'm tried of waiting! There's better things that I could be doing instead of just waiting."

A moment later, their sensei appeared on one of the tall carved logs standing upright. "Sorry, I got lost on the path of life."

"You liar!" Naruto yelled, jumping up in surprise and pointing an accusing finger at his sensei.

"Calm down, dobe. He was just late, that's all." Sasuke murmured, clearly irritated at his sensei as well.

Sakura yawned, stretching her arms, reaching for the blue sky. "So what are we going to do for our exercise, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi smiled at her. He jumped off of the log, the faint sound of a bell ringing coming from somewhere as he did so.

Naruto looked around. Where was that bell coming from? He knew when Kakashi-sensei drew two small bells, hanging from red ribbon, from his pocket. He dangled the bells between his fingers, shaking them slightly to make them sound.

"I want you to take these bells from me."

The teens gazed at Kakashi with pure bewilderment.

"That's all? You want us to take those bells from you?" Sasuke peered at Kakashi.

Kakashi explained the rules. They must take the bells from him with the full intent of killing. They had until lunchtime to take them – otherwise they didn't pass.

Sakura's jaw dropped. "But you've only got two bells! Even if we _did_ take the bells, one of us is sure to fail!"

- - -

Sasuke perched in the strong tree limbs. He depended on the thick leaves for his cover; it was going to be difficult taking a bell from Kakashi-sensei.

Naruto was being himself yet again. He was trying to attack Kakashi, wide open, in the middle of the clearing. Sasuke sighed, shaking his head. True, he maybe a knucklehead ninja, but he was _his_ knucklehead ninja.

He raised an eyebrow when he saw Naruto dangling from the tree. He smiled as Naruto fought the ropes, flailing his arms and yelling at Kakashi.

He could just hear Kakashi speaking. "Don't take the bait if it's obvious…"

A thought crossed Sasuke's mind. _Now's my chance!_ He drew a kunai knife from his side pack with swift grace and stole his chance. The kunai knives were flying at Kakashi, and, for a wild moment, Sasuke thought he had him. Suddenly, the falling figure of Kakashi transformed into a log at the last second.

_Damn! Now he knows where I am._ Sasuke raced through the trees, a frightened bird flying away from a hawk, seeking a suitable hiding spot.

Sasuke stopped in a dense bush. He was a little breathless. Did he lose him?

"Hello, Sasuke…" Sasuke's heart stopped. He turned to see a single black eye staring straight into his own, the Konoha headband concealing the other eye. Sasuke's mouth opened, forming soundless words in disbelief.


	5. You're Not A Good Liar, Sasuke

Hours later, squad seven was positioned in front of the training logs standing upright. Naruto was tied up to the middle post, squirming and making unnecessary noise while Sasuke and Sakura sat in the damp grass eating their lunch.

Sakura could hear Naruto's stomach from ten feet away. She knew he was hungry… and she was on a diet, so she didn't _really_ need the food, did she? Naruto needed it more than she did.

She sighed and held out her food for him. Naruto was taken aback.

"What are you doing, Sakura? I can't eat your food. We'd be disqualified."

"Just take it, Naruto, I don't need it… I'm on a diet anyway."

"Just one problem, Sakura…"

She looked up.

"My hands are tied… so I can't eat."

Sakura sighed in exasperation. Sasuke, fed up with the way Sakura was treating his Naruto, stood up and held out a bite of rice for Naruto from his own lunch.

"Sasuke…"

"Just eat it, quickly, before Kakashi-sensei gets back…"

Naruto did as he was told. Right after he swallowed the food, however, Kakashi stormed out after them from behind a tree, the weather suddenly fierce as Kakashi's expression.

The three teens were terrified. Even Sasuke was scared, he would admit, because he'd never seen anyone so menacing, besides his own brother…

"So, you deliberately disobeyed me and fed Naruto when I told you not to?" Kakashi's voice boomed threateningly.

Sakura spoke up. "You told us that we needed to work as a team…"

Sasuke, now a little braver since Sakura had spoken, retaliated as well.

"If we are to work together as a team, we all need to take care of each other… We can't work as a team if Naruto can't function properly because he couldn't eat."

Kakashi stared at them for a moment. Time froze for a long moment as Kakashi's hard gaze was fixed upon the scared kids.

"You pass."

Everyone – except Kakashi – went limp, flabbergasted. Their jaws dropped open. Naruto gulped.

"What did you say?"

"You. Pass."

---

Naruto chuckled nervously as he headed towards his favorite ramen shop, walking next to Sasuke. Sasuke smiled at him, simply happy to be in his company.

"That was a strange exercise, eh, Sasuke-kun?"

"Yes, it was, Naruto. Not as strange as you, but strange none the less."

"Hey!" Naruto playfully pushed his lover, laughing. "If I'm strange, then you're just plain weird."

"Not true, Uzumaki."

They teased each other until they reached their destination. Naruto greeted the old man, ordering two bowls of pork ramen: one for himself and one for Sasuke.

Sasuke wasn't a big fan of ramen, but, since he was with Naruto, he'd started to grow to it. True, they hadn't been together long, but he knew that there was something between the two.

Naruto felt the same way. He was unsure if they were rushing things. He fidgeted in his seat a little, wondering if he should ask Sasuke about the troubling subject on his mind.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"Hmm?"

"Umm… do you think.. we've been… rushing things a little? I'm not sure if we have been or something."

Sasuke smiled gently at his lover. "Oh, Naruto… No, I don't think so. Is this what was troubling you? You don't need to worry about things such as this."

Naruto grinned as Sasuke ruffled his soft blonde hair, just when their dishes of food was set in front of the two boys. Naruto's eyes opened wide in delight as his favorite meal was set in front of him.

Sasuke chuckled as Naruto slurped his long noodles. He ate slowly, once again, thinking about the question Naruto just asked. Have they been rushing things? He didn't know for sure, but he knew that he enjoyed all that they've done so far.

He shifted in his seat. He still felt a little uncomfortable sitting down. He figured that, soon enough, the dull ache would stop. He ignored the discomfort and focused on having a good time with Naruto.

"Hey!!"

Sasuke and Naruto twisted around in their seats. Their eyes widened slightly as they saw who it was that greeted them.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto managed through a mouthful of pork.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Naruto." Kakashi spoke coolly, sitting down in a stool next to the orange-clad teenage ninja.

"What do you want, Kakashi?" Sasuke asked him, keeping a black eye on the platinum-haired man. Kakashi simply gazed at him, not taking his exposed eye off of the Uchiha.

"Oh, I just want to talk to you, is all…"

Sasuke shifted in his seat again, from slight anxiety and discomfort.

Kakashi sensed Sasuke's agitation. He chuckled. "Can't sit comfortably, Sasuke? I wonder why…"

Sasuke froze. He glanced at Naruto, who stopped slurping his food momentarily, eyeing his sensei. _Does he know about Naruto and I…?_ Sasuke tried his best to keep a cool head, as he was usually best at.

"No answer, Sasuke-kun?" Kakashi smiled at Sasuke.

"I just… I bruised myself earlier, during the exercise." It wasn't a very good lie, but he figured that it would work for the time being. _Kakashi could be just a little… __**too**__… observant… I've been too careless around him._

Their sensei rolled his eye. Shaking his head, he looked the other way, stifling his laughter. What a strange reaction from the great Uchiha. _Not very good a lying, are you, Sasuke? You've got to do better than that if you want to fool me, Uchiha._

Naruto sighed. His bowl was empty. Pushing it away, he glanced at Kakashi again. _What is Kakashi-sensei thinking right now? Does he know what Sasuke and I are up to?_

Kakashi sighed. "You've got to do better than that, Sasuke…"

"What do you mean?"

"You're not very good at lying."

Sasuke's heart seemed to stop. So he knew…

"I wasn't lying, Kakashi-sensei…"

His sensei turned suddenly in his seat, staring hard at the Uchiha. Naruto was stuck in the middle of the stare-down, fidgeting nervously in his seat. He leaned back a little so he wasn't in their direct line of fire.

"Yes, you are, Sasuke. If you're going to lie to me, then the least you could do is at least try. I know what you and Naruto are up to. Don't even try hiding it from me."

Sasuke gulped noisily and looked away. "Whatever."

Naruto had no clue what to do. "What do you mean, Kakashi-sensei..?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Naruto." He switched his gaze to Naruto. "I know that Sasuke's been going over to your house… Even though I've observed you for only a day, I picked up enough hints here and there to know what you boys are up to. I'll let you know now: don't fool around while we're on missions. If you behave like you're supposed to, and if you do everything you're told, then I'll consider not letting the whole of Konoha know."

Naruto stared into that menacingly dark eye. Even though it was nearly the same color as Sasuke's, it was still terror-inducing. "Y-yes, Kakashi… sensei…"

Why did he feel so intimidated by this man? He knew he shouldn't have any reason to be afraid of him, but the slight chance that Konoha would know of the boys' recent activities would make him – and Sasuke – total outcasts forever. Would it? He knew he didn't want Sasuke to feel the same way Naruto did, or used to, anyway. He didn't want Sasuke to be shunned from everyone else, ignored or looked at like a monster. There was no guarantee that would happen, but he didn't want to take the chances.

Sasuke's face flushed. He didn't look at Kakashi as he got up to leave.

"See you boys later. And remember what I said – _behave­ _yourselves, and I _might_ consider not telling everyone in Konoha…"

Naruto sighed in relief a few moments after Kakashi left. He looked at Sasuke. His face was still turned the other way. Anxious, he placed his hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

Sasuke looked up. His facial expression was hard to depict: he seemed nervous, angry, worried, and humiliated all at once. Naruto smiled at Sasuke, trying to cheer him up.

"I'm sure he won't tell everyone, Sasuke… We've just got to be a little more careful around people, is all. We'll be fine."

Sasuke looked down, not too convinced by Naruto's soft words. He stared at his half-empty bowl of pork ramen, unsure if whether or not he should eat it.

"If you don't want the rest, Sasuke, I'll take it for you. I've got a little room left." He poked Sasuke in the side. Sasuke squirmed, biting back a chuckle.

Inspired and armed with a devious grin, Naruto poked him again. Sasuke squirmed again, still struggling to not laugh. He was poked over and over, and he couldn't help it anymore. He laughed, attacked by Naruto's soft and gentle fingers.

Naruto figured that his lover had enough torment. Sasuke hadn't laughed that hard in weeks – maybe even in months, if he thought about it hard enough. But he knew one thing: Naruto sure knew how to cheer him up.

After he recovered, he sighed. "If you want the rest of my ramen, go ahead. I'm done anyway."

Naruto beamed as he pulled Sasuke's bowl in front of him, inhaling the rest of the noodles. He was sure that things were going to turn out okay.

---

Sakura heard laughter nearby. Curious, she wandered in the direction of Ichiraku's ramen shop. Peering inside, she saw Naruto tickling Sasuke, a sight she had not expected to see. Naruto and Sasuke eating together was the last thing she would have expected, much less tickling each other.

She snuck away, deciding it was best to leave the boys alone. They needed to bond a little, and what better way is there than eating lunch together? Smiling to herself, Ino traced into her mind once more.

She wandered the streets, dreaming of days to come and days that have passed. The soft breeze smelled of clean flowers as it blew gently in her hair. It was a comforting sensation. One that she'd felt a thousand times before, but a sensation that she'd never get tired of.

Not paying attention to where she was going, she bumped into someone. Turning around, she was mildly surprised.

"Sakura-chan, fancy seeing you again."

Sakura smiled at the person she bumped into. "Same to you, too, Ino-san."

They shared small talk before deciding to walk around Konoha together. It turned out that both girls didn't like being such fierce rivals towards each other. They ultimately decided to become friends again, and they didn't want to compete over anything anymore. Especially over Sasuke. Sakura told Ino that she could chase after Sasuke if she so pleased, but, surprisingly enough, the blonde refused.

"Sasuke-kun doesn't seem to have an interest in girls. I've decided that chasing after him would be futile and I would get nowhere in life; it's just too… what's the word… complicated? I don't know. But I do know that I would probably have a much better chance with you than Sasuke-kun."

It took a moment for the girls to register what was just spoken. Ino turned pink and tripped over her tongue as she tried apologizing.

"I-I didn't mean it t-that way! You know what, I mean, r-right, Sakura? I mean, Sasuke is just so hard-headed, and you're nice and funny and smart and – and so _pretty_—"

Sakura shushed her by placing her finger on Ino's soft lips. "Hush, Ino… I know what you mean." She smiled at the blonde, removing her finger, only to replace it with her own lips to meet each other.

Ino's eyes widened slightly. This isn't what she was expecting, but this is what she'd wanted for a long time.

Sakura broke the sudden kiss. She gazed into Ino's eyes tenderly, stroking the side of her smooth face in the middle of the deserted road.

Ino suddenly pulled Sakura close and pressed her lips once again against the strawberry blonde's. They kissed each other, realizing that they wanted each other more than ever.

Long, sweet moments passed before Sakura broke the kiss and pulled her down the road, towards Ino's flower shop.

They laughed as they burst in the glass doors and made for the back room. Before the door could even close behind them, Ino had spun Sakura around, their lips locked once more. Sakura made soft sounds of delight, her fingers dancing over Ino's clothing. They could feel each other smiling as they brushed each other's hair out of their faces.


End file.
